Definition
A required minimum separation, expressed in feet horizontally and vertically, that a pilot operating under visual flight rules (VFR) must maintain between the aircraft and any cloud. The specific values vary by airspace class and altitude, and are set out in 14 CFR 91.155 alongside flight visibility minimums.
Plain English
How far away from any cloud you must keep your aircraft when flying by visual reference. The exact distance depends on which class of airspace you are in and how high you are flying.
Context Anchor
Seen in the basic VFR weather minimums table when checking whether the weather is legal for visual flight in a particular airspace.
Why Pilots Care
Keeps the aircraft in visual conditions for see-and-avoid separation from other traffic and satisfies regulatory requirements.
Grounding Statement
Picture each cloud as something with a required safety space around it, and your aircraft must stay outside that space unless the rule for that airspace says only to remain clear of clouds.
Intuition Check
Do not read “distance from clouds” as a rough comfort zone or personal judgment. In this context, it means the FAA-required minimum spacing from clouds, and the exact spacing depends on the airspace and altitude.
Example Sentence 1
Before departing, the pilot checked the ceiling and visibility to confirm she could maintain the required distance from clouds for Class E airspace below 10,000 feet.
Example Sentence 2
Maintaining proper distance from clouds allowed the flight to remain under VFR in Class E airspace.